Officials sceptical over districts before Dasara

Top district officials are sceptical about the creation of new districts by the state government in next three months.

The officials strongly believe that creation of new districts not an easy task and it needs a lot of procedure and time.

It is said that new districts may not be announced on Dasara festival. Top officials feel that state government is trying to generate revenue through land registrations by creating hype on new districts as it is facing a shortage of funds. 

A senior district officer said they too were in a state of confusion over creating new districts and just simply following the instructions from state government without going to rationality behind creating some new districts.  

Adilabad Zilla Parirakshana Committee feels that state government is deliberately creating real estate boom in the name of creating new districts and serving the interests of the few political leaders and some communities.

Land transactions are high these days in Nirmal and Mancherial to be created as new districts. Land prices also increased many folds in and around Nirmal town since news floated that Nirmal is under consideration of the state government for a new district. 

Land prices raised many folds in and around the Mancherial since the state government has announced that Mancherial will be created as a new district.

Top officials are saying that state government is doing a futile exercise by announcing few places as new district though there was no demand for such thing. Adivasis are not happy with the way the state government is creating the new districts without conducting a scientific survey.

People of Adilabad districts had many doubts on the demand for Nirmal district that came up suddenly without anybody’s demand and political leaders who lobbied for the Nirmal district when there was no such demand from the local public. Adivasi leaders are now questioning the logic behind creating Nirmal district while rejecting the Tribal district.

The creation of Nirmal and Mancherial has raised many issues including persons owned lands in and around these towns, control over the real estate business and communities benefiting more out of creating these two districts.

Questions are also raised what is need of creating new districts with just 50 km radius in the wake of improved road connectivity, communication technology and government talking much about online services. 

Some people feel the need of the hour is creating infrastructure and facilities for the employees at work place and addressing the peoples’ problems without much delay.

Street food causing illness, deaths

Adivasis buying roadside food items at Jainoor in Adilabad district

Street food has become a cause for concern as far as Adivasi's deaths are concerned in the district.

Adivasis have been falling sick after eating roadside food or prepared in unhygienic conditions and with spurious ingredients. 

Food poisoning and jaundice deaths are on the rise in the tribal areas especially during a rainy season in the district.

There are no checks by the food inspectors on food items sold at hotels and roadside, mutton and chicken markets and spurious edible oils sell by the businesspersons in the agency areas.

It is open secret that shop owners sell adulterated edible oils in the agency areas and Narnoor, Sirpur (U), Jainoor ,  Kerameri, Indravelli, Utnoor , Asifabad, Wankidi and most of the gullible Adivasis purchase these adulterated oils without knowing the implication and their impact on their health.

Even, today shop owners sell loose edible oil in the agency areas on which a ban was imposed by the government.

Medical experts say that most of the Adivasis fall sick after eating the street food  in the monsoon e eating road food their favorites being bajji, khara mixture, Jilebi. Little attention is paid to the cooking methods, surroundings or ingredients.

There are strong allegations that food inspectors take bribes from the owners of these hotels and also roadside vendors and turn blind eye to the effects of the food items.

Adivasis buy these food items on the weekly shandies and parents eat these items at hotels and take them to their children. Students studying in Ashram schools are  also falling sick after eating  street food.

According to official sources, two deaths took place due to fever with jaundice and three deaths are due to food poisoning in tribal areas in 2016.

Additional DMHO (Agency) T. Prabhakar Reddy said food poisoning cases are increasing in the tribal areas and tribal should avoid eating street food, especially during the rainy season.